For this assignment we had to take a random Dailyshoot photograph and create a haiku using that image. I think that Dailyshoot is something DS106 sections of olde used to do. So, I decided to just Google Search “apocalypse” and choose a random image. I choose this image:

I then decided to look at the photo and write down any words that came to mind. I made the following list:

Destruction

Cold

Empty

Unspoken

Waste

Skyscraper

Clouds

Night

Destroy

Betrayal

I then felt like I had enough inspiration to write my haiku. If anyone who is reading this knows me IRL, they know I am actually really badat counting syllables. It’s one of those weird things I never really picked up well. So for me, actually counting syllables was the most difficult part of this assignment. However, after many minutes of clapping the syllables to myself, I was able to come up with my beautiful haiku.

Something I think I did well was giving the haiku a tense, somewhat mysterious vibe. I feel like this mood pushes people to read more into the subtext. I also think it helps that the haiku is apocalypse themed as well.

Moreover, something I want to improve is connecting all the lines together into more of a story. My haiku does have some of a story as one can assume the “cloud” refers to an apocalyptic weather disaster. However, I want *more*. I want it to draw people in and really tell them something.

This assignment also taught me a valuable lesson: to limit my ideas to a few words and lines. I struggled with this aspect a little, but I really did come to terms with it. Hopefully that can be seen in the end result.

As always (sorry to sound like a broken record), I found it easy to insert gifs into my post. I think I just have an affinity for gifs. I’m just able to search them out and find that diamond in the rough. Or maybe the gifs are looking for me.

Related

4 Comments on “A Cold Skyscraper”

Very nice — and I love your behind the process write-ups. I find them as interesting as the work itself. (Also, thanks for linking to the assignment you did. When people don’t do this and/or don’t talk about what the process was, I can’t easily figure out what assignment then did!)

Did you never learn the trick of putting your fingers on your chin to count syllables? Or does that not work, either?

Thank you! I do enjoy writing the behind the process write-ups. I feel like Lee would be proud because it is a little bit of metacognition/learning reflection. And I just Googled the chin method and wow where has that been all my life. I think you just solved my syllable dilema 😅

This is so cool! I like how your haiku talks about the world during the apocalypse! I also LOVE GIFs and so I love how you used them to illustrate your writing! Also the ‘behind-the-scenes’ you use to explain your process is a great touch! Great job!